Homework Guide

Note: Homework will be reviewed andis essential to your child’s growth and success this year. Your child’s planner should be initialednightly,indicating that homework assignments have been completed. Homework will be sent home through the binder/blue folder, and should be returned through the binder/blue folder.

Reading

  • Students are asked to read nightly for at least 20 minutes. This can be done separately from their written homework assignments. The purpose of this reading assignment is to encourage students to read with a more natural purpose; i.e. “read what interests them, and to gain information.” At school, your child will learn the necessary skills and strategies to support and grow them as readers. However, at home they should be encouraged to read because they want to. Therefore, they should be encouraged to choose the “text”, i.e. magazine, chapter book, story book, poem, newspaper, etc., as well as choose the when and where, i.e. in the car, after dinner, before going to bed, etc. If your child has not yet developed into an independent reader, support them by reading with them; “buddy reading- you read a page/paragraph and I’ll read a page/paragraph.” In addition, please encourage your child to occasionally read to an “audience”, which willhelp improve their oral reading skills, fluency, and expression.
  • Reading log sheets will be sent home at the end of each month for you to sign and are to be returned the next day with the amount of reading calculated for one month. The classroom teacher records the amount of reading on a chart in the classroom. (minimum 20 minutes, 5 days a week).

Mathematics

  • Math Review Worksheets—student review worksheets should be completed according to the directions of the planner. Homework is based on the skills that have been worked on in-class and thus, should serve as reinforcement for your child. If your child is experiencing difficulty in completing an assignment please assist them in doing so. However, please do not force your child to the extent of frustration. Make note of their difficulty on the assignment and I will review those concepts with them further.
  • Or Math Textbook Assignments—textbook assignments should be completed according to the directions of the planner. Please do not allow your child to write in their math textbook. Please use the notebook paper from their binder to copy and answer the assigned problems.
  • Math Fact Practice—in order to achieve math fact fluency your child will need to consistently practice their facts at home. This should be done several times throughout the week, and can be done orally. Students can practice their facts at any given time, i.e. in the car, while waiting in a line, before bedtime, etc. Addition and subtraction will be reviewed and tested for the first quarter. We will begin multiplication sooner this year, due to the new Common Core Curriculum Standards.

Spelling/Vocabulary—Spelling will be assigned for the 1st and 2nd quarter. Vocabulary will be assigned for the 3rd and 4th quarter.

Please see our classroom websites for a list of weekly words.

Email is a great way to communicate… (math), (reading)